<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Pacers forward Maceo Baston remembers the NBA being rough and tough during his first stop, albeit a short one, in the league. Baston, who signed a one-year deal with a player option for a second year over the summer, appeared in 16 games with the Toronto Raptors during the 2002-03 season. "It seems like it's not as physical as it used to be," said Baston, who has spent the past few seasons playing in Europe. "Now everybody wants to get out and run the way Phoenix does. This is my first full season, so I'm a rookie in a lot of ways." The Pacers are counting on Baston to be a high-energy player off the bench. He is averaging 7.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11 minutes per game during the preseason after scoring 12 points in 11 minutes Tuesday. "(Baston) is an athletic, energy guy that plays with a certain abandon, but at the same time, he keeps himself under control," Carlisle said. "He's an intriguing player; he's a very unusual player in some sense. I think he can play with anybody. It's important he keep himself ready to play."</div> Source
